The built broken environment
By Gary Elliott Chief Executive at Elliott Wood
02
Paul Wood and I co-created Elliott Wood on Valentine’s Day 1994, with a strong belief that we could do better things. It was a different age — no mobiles, no internet, no BIM. Very basic computing power. John Major was Prime Minister, and the UNFCCC launched the same year in Rio de Janeiro. Cool Britannia was our backdrop, and the UK was changing with increased pride in the country’s culture. I was proud to be an engineer. I loved the work, the people, getting my hands dirty. We were one of the first to digitise our design work and recognise the negative impact the construction industry has on nature. But to make a difference we had to adapt as engineers and as a business. This collective determination started what has now evolved into our purpose of Engineering a Better Society. Simple words on paper but very hard to achieve. When I look around me in the office, I see our people, the innovation and the energy. It’s clear to me, just like that Valentine’s Day 30 years ago, that this is just the beginning. We have so much more to do and a big part of this is our accreditation as a B Corp. In what’s our first Impact Report, we explore this journey as well as our plans for the future. We see our accreditation as a recognition of the positive impact created through our projects and operations. But we also see it as a commitment — to continue to work collectively — for our industry, society and our living planet. Driving change Gary Elliott Chief Executive Elliott Wood
The impact of the UK’s built environment
Climate breakdown + resources
of all emissions 25%
of material use+ waste generation 60%
Nature
Since 1970, UK species have declined by about 19% on average
Nearly one in six UK species are threatened with extinction
-19%
Housing + health £1.2M £1.6B
In 2022, 1.2 million households were on the waiting list for social homes in England.
Between 2017 and 2025, air pollutants are predicted to cost the NHS and social care system £1.6 billion .
References
(1) https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/whole-life-carbon-roadmap/ (2) https://ukgbc.org/our-work/resource-use/ (3) https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/29/state-of-nature/ (4) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65733c1f049516000d49bf14/LT600_accessible.ods (5) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health
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